"Honestly, I thought it was going to be my last shift," said Trooper Michael Trotta, according to a tape recording played Thursday in Dauphin County District Court. "My pants were blown to shreds. I thought I was going to die."

Trotta, of the Harrisburg barracks, allegedly was shot by David Edward Ricker, 50, June 1 on Ricker's property on Green Hill Road. Ricker is charged with criminal attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault on a police officer and aggravated assault.

Magisterial District Judge Lowell Witmer ruled at a preliminary hearing Thursday that those charges will be bound over for trial in Dauphin County Court. Meanwhile, the hearing gave a glimpse of the intriguing testimony that could be in store for a potential trial.

Dauphin County First Assistant District Attorney Fran Chardo played a 45-minute tape recording of the interview Trotta gave to state troopers nearly two weeks after Ricker wounded him.

In that interview, Trotta claimed Ricker was acting "drunk and disorderly" when he arrived at his home to investigate a report of "loud and fast driving" and a mailbox being run over in a person's yard. Ricker later acknowledged to a neighbor that he ran over the mailbox.

Upon arriving on Ricker's property, Trotta said he heard Ricker speak in German, or a European dialect, to a German shepherd on his property and believed Ricker was ordering the dog to attack him.

David E. Ricker, 50, is accused of shooting a state trooper with an assault rifle. Dauphin County District Attorney's Office

Moreover, Trotta said Ricker made an attempt to grab his Taser away from him while he was still sitting in his police cruiser. Trotta also said he saw Ricker strike his wife, who initially allowed Trotta on the property by opening a large gate, Trotta said. One of the couple's children also came out into the driveway during this incident, according to Trotta.

Later, Trotta said he saw Ricker pull a small pistol from his pants pocket. Moments after that, after Ricker had gone inside his garage, Trotta said, Ricker lifted an assault rifle from his side as he moved to aim the weapon in Trotta's direction. Trotta said he also believed Ricker was "sizing up" Trooper Dana Gingerich, who had also arrived at the scene.

"At that point, I'm a breath away from dying," Trotta said as he explained in his interview why he fired three shots at Ricker.

Ricker returned fire and Trotta said he suffered gunshot wounds to both of his hands, which included a severed left middle finger. He also required 30 stitches in his right forearm and said he had a grapefruit-sized hole in his left thigh.

Trotta is still undergoing rehabilitation, said Trooper Rob Hicks, a state police spokesman.

Ricker was struck by two of Trotta's bullets in the abdomen, which Ricker said required the removal of part of his intestines. Ricker sat in a wheelchair during Thursday's preliminary hearing.

William Costopoulous, Ricker's defense attorney, started building the case that Ricker acted in self-defense. As he questioned state Trooper Douglas Kelley, one of the investigating troopers, Costopoulous argued that Trotta had no reason to be on Ricker's property because Ricker ordered him to leave several times.

Costopoulous also claimed Ricker never pointed the assault rifle at Trotta before the trooper opened fire.

Costopoulous also raised questions about Trotta's service record with the state police. He suggested Trotta made a comment through social media that he was happy to be transferred to the Harrisburg barracks because he would have "more opportunity to use his handgun."

Costopoulous also argued that he should have had the opportunity to perform a cross examination on Trotta at Thursday's hearing. But Chardo said he kept Trotta from testifying Thursday so that he could prevent the trooper from being subjected to questioning on a life-threatening incident.

Ricker was visibly upset at various points throughout the hearing — especially during the segment where Trotta's taped interview was played. At one point, he mouthed the words, "That is a lie," to his defense attorney.

Many of Ricker's family members, including his wife, sat in the courtroom during Thursday's hearing. At one point, his wife, Jen, broke down in tears as Costopoulous made the argument that the shooting could have been prevented had Trotta not acted as he did.

Kelley, the investigating trooper, also reported during his testimony that 80 guns belonging to Ricker were found on his property during state police's subsequent investigation. Marijuana and nearly $400,000 in cash also were seized from a safe, the trooper testified.

Ricker is free from police custody after posting property as collateral for his $1 million bail. His formal arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 28.

Note: This story has been updated to correct the amount of money authorities seized from Ricker's home.

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